Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to motorcycle running, warning, and signal lights, and more particularly to a system for monitoring the operation of motorcycle brake and tail lights and, upon determination that a brake or tail light is not operating properly to provide a warning light signal, for automatically providing an alternate warning light signal which is highly visible to traffic following the motorcycle.
Motorcycles offer a relatively inexpensive alternative mode of transportation to automobiles, with many individuals preferring to ride motorcycles both when commuting and when riding for pleasure. While motorcycles are for the most part a safe mode of transportation, they are particularly at risk when drivers of automobiles fail to see them. With their smaller size, motorcycles are inherently less visible than automobiles, and thus use lights advantageously to enhance their visibility.
For this reason, proper operation of motorcycle lights are even more important than might otherwise be presumed. Since a high percentage of motorcycle accidents happen when a motorcycle is hit from behind, rear warning lights are particularly important for maintaining motorcycle safety. Brake lights and tail lights are particularly important, since, if they are not operating properly, a motorcycle may be significantly less visible to an automobile following the motorcycle. Properly operating brake and tail lights are even more important when the motorcycle is being operated during nighttime or twilight hours.
As might be expected, the art has acknowledged the problem of burned-out bulbs for some time, and in a wide variety of ways which may be categorized into two general categories. The first of these categories deals with merely providing an indication that a bulb is not operating properly, while the second category endeavors to somehow compensate for the burned-out bulb. Most of the pertinent references are general in nature, and are not particularly intended for use with a motorcycle.
In the first category, a number of the references deal with a burned-out turn signal bulb by flashing at a slower rate. Examples of this function include U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,496, to Hatanaka et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,376, to Dietz et al. A second group of reference in the first category provide a signal which may be used to light a warning indicator light when any bulb, including brake and tail lights in addition to turn signal lights, is burned out. Examples of such references include U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,047, to Finnegan, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,398, to Dunn. A third group of references in the first category both slow the turn signal flashing rate and provide an indicator light when a turn signal bulb is burned out. Examples of this type of system are U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,174 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,814, both to Onan et al.
The second category of references not only is able to sense when a bulb is burned out, but endeavors to compensate for the function of the burned-out bulb by lighting a redundant bulb. This approach seems to be the strong preference of the art, as indicated by the large number of references using it over an extended period of time. Examples of the second category include U.S. Pat. No. 2,342,639, to Bradley, U.S. Pat. No. 2,528,245, to Riggins, U.S. Pat. No. 3,076,123, to McDermott, U.S. Pat. No. 3,825,769, to Alford, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,777, to Morita, U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,075, to Ericson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,718, to Miller, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,328, to Lu.
The first category described above is not acceptable since the lack of a brake light or tail light on a motorcycle, even for the short time after the operator notices the warning light and replaces the bulb, presents a high degree of risk of being hit from behind. With regard to the second category, all of the references in that category assume the existence of a back-up bulb element, which of course requires multiple or redundant bulbs. While many automobiles have a sufficient number of bulbs to ensure the ready availability of redundant bulbs, such is not the case with most motorcycles.
It is accordingly the primary objective of the present invention that it provide a warning light signal visible from the rear of a motorcycle when either the brake light or the tail light of the motorcycle are burned out. It is a closely related objective of the present invention that the warning light be highly visible, and that it be provided from the rear of the motorcycle so as to provide following vehicles with an enhanced indication of the location of the rear of the motorcycle. It is an additional objective of the motorcycle rear warning light system of the present invention that its operation be both swift and fully automatic, occurring without requiring intervention of the motorcycle rider immediately upon the occasion of a burned-out brake light bulb or tail light bulb.
It is a further objective of the motorcycle rear warning light system of the present invention that it be easy to install in any motorcycle's electrical system, requiring essentially only that it be plugged into the existing system, and that it require no additional modifications. In an additional optional implementation, it is an objective that the motorcycle rear warning light system of the present invention provide a warning indication to the operator of the motorcycle that a brake light bulb or a tail light bulb has burned out, and that the system has operated to compensate for the burned-out bulb. It is also an objective of the system of the present invention that it even be adaptable for use on other motor vehicles, such as automobiles.
The motorcycle rear warning light system of the present invention must also be of construction which is both durable and long lasting, and it should also require little or no maintenance to be provided by the user throughout its operating lifetime. In order to enhance the market appeal of the motorcycle rear warning light system of the present invention, it should also be of inexpensive construction to thereby afford it the broadest possible market. Finally, it is also an objective that all of the aforesaid advantages and objectives of the motorcycle rear warning light system of the present invention be achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.